# Brain Wave > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Brain_Wave > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Brain_Wave.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain_Wave > Source revision: 1354717567 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) 1953 novel by Poul Anderson For other uses, see [Brain wave](/source/Brain_waves_(disambiguation)). Brain Wave First edition Author Poul Anderson Cover artist Richard Powers Language English Subject Intelligence Genre science fiction Publisher Ballantine Publication date 1954 Publication place United States Media type Print (Paperback, Hardcover) Pages 164 OCLC 2886722 LC Class 54-8910 ***Brain Wave*** is a [science fiction](/source/Science_fiction) novel by American writer [Poul Anderson](/source/Poul_Anderson), first published in serial form in *[Space Science Fiction](/source/Space_Science_Fiction_Magazine)* in 1953, and then as a novel in 1954. Anderson had said that he could consider it one of his top five books.[1] This is one of many science fiction works written at this time on the theme of heightened intelligence. ## Plot summary At the end of the [Cretaceous](/source/Cretaceous) [period](/source/Geologic_period), [Earth](/source/Earth) moved into an energy-dampening field in space. While Earth was in this field, all [conductors](/source/Electrical_conductor) became more insulating, dramatically lowering the intelligence of all animal life by inhibiting the function of neurons. As a result, almost all of the life on Earth with neurons died off, causing the [Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event](/source/Cretaceous%E2%80%93Paleogene_extinction_event). The ones that survived passed on their [genes](/source/Genes) for sufficiently capable neurons to deal with the new circumstance. Now in modern times, Earth suddenly moves out of the field. Within weeks all animal life on Earth becomes about 5 times as [intelligent](/source/Intelligent). The novel goes through the triumphs and tribulations of various people and non-human animals on Earth after this event. The book opens with a lyrical description of a [rabbit](/source/Rabbit), stuck inside a trap, becoming able to reason his way out. This is a common theme in the book. Traps, cages, and fences are based on the inability of animals to reason their way out of them. When the animals gain the ability to reason, they start escaping. Institutions which seemed to be vital to human society, such as a money economy and centralized government, disappear in North America. Africans, with the assistance of intelligent apes, overcome colonial rule, while Chinese and Russians rebel against their Communist governments. However, some of the means by which people cope with the "Change" are by inventing new anti-scientific religions such as the Third Ba'al, or adopting [pseudo-science](/source/Pseudo-science). As humans develop interstellar travel, they discover no other races are as intelligent as they; other races evolved brains while outside the dampening field. With no environmental pressure to select for higher intelligence, the average IQ of other races is roughly equivalent to that of pre-Change humanity. Eventually "normal" humanity evolves to the point where they can exert considerable mental control over their intellectual and physical processes. After preventing an attempt by a group of insane scientists to artificially re-create the dampening field around the Earth, humanity resolves to leave the planet in the charge of the intelligent animals and mentally-impaired humans. In turn, the human race will become an unseen helping hand to the multitude of other races throughout the universe. ## Characters ### Archie Brock Archie Brock, one of the main characters in the story, is mentally disabled; when the Earth moves out of the field he becomes a genius by pre-Change standards. His character is central to the story. Halfway through the book he has taken over the farm that he worked on and, with the aid of his dog (who now understands simple English) and some escaped circus animals (two chimps and an elephant), they successfully run the farm together. Even though his intelligence has increased fivefold, so has everyone else's. He is still considered a relative simpleton, but has very much come to terms with that. In the end, when nearly all the humans leave Earth, he decides to stay behind as leader of a colony of now sentient animals and formerly mentally disabled people. ### Dr. Peter Corinth Physics researcher who spent a brief period at [Los Alamos](/source/Los_Alamos_National_Laboratory) in WWII. He is one of the first to understand the change. After the change he experiences an emotional battle to stay loyal to his wife, although he has feelings for another woman in his office. He later becomes a pilot of the first spaceship able to explore the galaxy. As part of that exploration, he again crosses into the energy-dampening field. His mind quickly becomes unable to work the complex controls, and he must wait for the ship to move back out of the field on its own. His delay in returning home results in his wife artificially lowering her own intelligence by “frying” parts of her brain. ### Sheila Corinth Wife of Peter Corinth. She is a housewife before the change. The first effect she goes through when the change begins is a philosophical realization that her life as a housewife is "better" than that of her non-conformist friends. Later on she begins to lose her sanity from having to deal daily with the existential crisis. Her story is typical of many people in the book who lacked the intelligence before the change to know how bad their situations were. Later she goes into her husband's lab to use an [electroconvulsive therapy](/source/Electroconvulsive_therapy) machine that severely damages her brain, bringing her IQ down to about 150, with which she is more comfortable. Her memories of Peter are erased, and in the last scene we see her introduced to Archie Brock's farm. ### Felix Mandelbaum Neighbor of the Corinths. Before the change he is a Jewish executive secretary of a local union. He is 50 years old and was born on the lower East Side of New York. Later on he becomes "executive of the world", and is instrumental in stopping the plot to return the Earth to pre-Change intelligence. ## Reception Some have argued that the book is too short, possibly a result of editorial requirements at the time. For example, Thomas M. Wagner writes, "The book does feel somewhat rushed, as well as heavily edited, and I felt there was more Anderson was wanting to tell me. Anderson focuses his plot on a handful of lead characters."[2] Reviewer [Groff Conklin](/source/Groff_Conklin) praised the novel as an "original idea . . . brilliantly carried out" but faulted its "rather fumbling ending".[3] [P. Schuyler Miller](/source/P._Schuyler_Miller) described *Brain Wave* as "a brilliant idea that somehow doesn't quite come off".[4] [Anthony Boucher](/source/Anthony_Boucher) praised the novel, saying that "Anderson has worked out in wonderfully logical detail the logical consequences of [his] assumption [and] advanced his speculations with exciting storytelling and moving characterization."[5] Leslie Flood wrote in *[New Worlds](/source/New_Worlds_(magazine))* that "*Brain Wave* is a convincing, humanly realistic example of the wonders of the science fiction novel at its literary and thought-provoking best."[6] ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** [Locus: Poul Anderson interview](http://www.locusmag.com/1997/Issues/04/Anderson.html) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** [SF REVIEWS.NET: Brain Wave / Poul Anderson ☆☆☆](http://www.sfreviews.net/brainwave.html) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** "Galaxy's 5 Star Shelf", *[Galaxy Science Fiction](/source/Galaxy_Science_Fiction)*, September 1954, p.114 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** "The Reference Library," *[Astounding Science Fiction](/source/Astounding_Science_Fiction)*, March 1954, pp.154 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** "Recommended Reading," *[F&SF](/source/The_Magazine_of_Fantasy_%26_Science_Fiction)*, September 1954, p.92. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** "Book Reviews", *New Worlds*, February 1956, p.128 ## External links - [*Brain Wave*](https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?2320) title listing at the [Internet Speculative Fiction Database](/source/Internet_Speculative_Fiction_Database) v t e Works by Poul Anderson Hoka (with Gordon R. Dickson) Earthman's Burden Star Prince Charlie Hoka! Hoka! Hoka! Hoka! The Psychotechnic League Star Ways The Snows of Ganymede Virgin Planet The Psychotechnic League Cold Victory Starship Technic History Polesotechnic League period of Nicholas van Rijn War of the Wing-Men Trader to the Stars The Trouble Twisters Satan's World The Earth Book of Stormgate Mirkheim The People of the Wind Terran Empire period of Dominic Flandry Ensign Flandry A Circus of Hells The Rebel Worlds The Day of Their Return Agent of the Terran Empire Flandry of Terra A Knight of Ghosts and Shadows A Stone in Heaven The Game of Empire The Long Night Let the Spacemen Beware History of Rustum Orbit Unlimited New America Maurai Maurai and Kith Orion Shall Rise Other science fiction novels Flight to Forever Vault of the Ages Brain Wave Question and Answer No World of Their Own The Long Way Home Perish by the Sword War of Two Worlds The Enemy Stars The High Crusade Murder in Black Letter Twilight World After Doomsday The Makeshift Rocket Murder Bound Shield Three Worlds to Conquer The Corridors of Time The Star Fox The Fox, the Dog and the Griffin: A Folk Tale Adapted from the Danish of C. Molbeck World Without Stars Tau Zero The Byworlder The Dancer from Atlantis There Will Be Time Fire Time Inheritors of Earth The Winter of the World The Avatar The Demnon of Scattery The Devil's Game The Boat of a Million Years The Longest Voyage War of the Gods Starfarers Genesis Mother of Kings For Love and Glory Collections Strangers from Earth Un-Man and Other Novellas Time and Stars The Horn of Time Beyond the Beyond Seven Conquest Tales of the Flying Mountains The Queen of Air and Darkness and Other Stories The Worlds of Poul Anderson The Many Worlds of Poul Anderson Homeward and Beyond The Best of Poul Anderson Homebrew Winners The Night Face & Other Stories The Dark Between the Stars Explorations Fantasy Cold Victory The Gods Laughed Starship The Winter of the World / The Queen of Air and Darkness Conflict The Long Night Past Times The Unicorn Trade Dialogue With Darkness Space Folk Alight in the Void The Armies of Elfland Inconstant Star Kinship With the Stars All One Universe Going for Infinity Swordsmen from the Stars Operation Otherworld Operation Chaos Operation Luna Other fantasy novels Three Hearts and Three Lions The Broken Sword Hrolf Kraki's Saga A Midsummer Tempest The Merman's Children Conan the Rebel War of the Gods Historical novels The Golden Slave Rogue Sword Mother of Kings Novellas and short stories "Brake" "Call Me Joe" "Delenda Est" "Entity" "Eutopia" "Goat Song" "The Light" "The Longest Voyage" "The Man Who Came Early" "Marius" "Memory" "Night Piece" "No Truce with Kings" "The Pirate" "The Queen of Air and Darkness" "Quest" "Sam Hall" "The Saturn Game" "The Sensitive Man" "The Sharing of Flesh" "Un-Man" --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Brain Wave](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain_Wave) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain_Wave?action=history)). 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